Gentry/The Baroness of Fire and Ice

The Baroness of Fire and Ice

The Baroness is a Gentry local to the New England area created by Ian.

Description

A crystalline woman, refracting the light of her divided heart which can be clearly seen beating within her breast, one half fire and one half ice, at constant war within herself, freezing and melting and freezing again, the heart floating in the darkness contained within, light radiating out of her. Her touch burns and freezes all at the same time.

Realm - Palace of Crystalline Reflections

The Palace itself sits at the center of what, from above, might resemble a crater in the shape of a yin and yang with a great volcano on one side and a great frozen peak on the other, both descending into foothills and eventually into a great lake that seethes and bubbles on one side, freezes on the other, and in the very center the great crystal palace rises.

There, within, the Baroness entertains in salons that glitter, filled with mirror reflections and beauty to reflect within. Her guests are afforded entertainment of all sorts, ranging from graceful ice dancing to feats of fiery strength and combat. Every one of her collected are chosen for their ability to entertain or serve in some fashion. And she delights in manipulating them, allowing them some small pleasures, and then denying them, in a constant shifting between hot and cold.

While the palace is opulent and all about comfort and entertainment, the mountains are the barriers that keep those trapped inside within, and those who might attempt to invade from without, out.

Methodology

Victims are chosen for their strength, beauty, athleticism, passion, manners, aesthetic, or to serve some particular position in the palace or within the surrounding wastelands.

She never does her own dirty work, instead preferring to send out a few choice Loyalists to select those that she wants. She likes those who burn with passion, strength, life, athletes, artists, creators, or those who can either be stoked to further fire, or those who are cool, calm, beautiful but distant, well-mannered but unemotional, or those who can be chilled and honed to a sharp edge. Her minions often use seduction, trickery, and subtle methods to gaining the trust of those she wishes to take, and lead them almost willingly right into her grasp.

Suggested Themes for Escapees

A Baroness has a need for all kinds of minions for everything from entertaining her guests to guarding her realm. A wide variety of possibilities might spring from her realm, though all are usually touched in some way by the elements.

• Beast - Creatures of the tundra such as wolves, snow leopards, snowy owls, to be spies and guardians within the frozen wastelands to prevent escape or invasion. Creatures of the volcano such as crickets and carnivorous centipedes, songbirds and salamanders, who likewise keep an eye on the territory of the Baroness. Almost all are forced to hunt and kill those who are cast out from the palace.

• Darkling - Those who are particularly good at blending in, mingling among the staff, are kept as watchers and spies -- their purpose being to keep an eye on the performers, and to learn everything that they can from the visiting guests through any means necessary.

• Elemental - The Baroness has a particular fondness for the elementals -- fire and ice foremost in her heart, but also earth, water, and wind. From the howling winds that surround the mountain, to living flames that dance and pirouette within the lounges, to great earthen behemoths who guard the outermost reaches of the crater. There is a strong case for this realm to produce Elementals of almost any type.

• Fairest - Pretty things chosen to entertain guests, they are usually playthings and little more, kept as slaves and used for pleasure. In this realm, they are a rung below the Elementals unless they too have been touched by the elements in some way, and thus their beauty transcends a mere human form.

• Ogre - Ogres are primarily used as guardians within the wastes, and occasionally as bodyguards within the palace. There is the rare Ogre performer whose strength or other talents makes her stand out, unusual enough to entertain. Like the Fairest, however, unless they too are somewhat touched by the elements, they are usually consigned to the wastes.

• Wizened - Useful for their many talents that they can serve around the palace, Wizened are generally created as staff to create inventions, amusements, make repairs, attend to costumes, and cooking lavish meals. They are almost always out of sight of the guests, operating out of view in the background.

Escapees

Andrew Bennett, Ashley, Connor Mason, Eden Lopez, Hannah Harper, Jon Ihrck, Omari Smith, Vin